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State approves funds to improve safety at Whitman County railroad crossing

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State approves funds to improve safety at Whitman County railroad crossing

OLYMPIA, Wash. – State regulators today approved funds to improve the safety of a railroad crossing in Whitman County.

The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) approved almost $20,000 from the Grade Crossing Protective Fund (GCPF) to pay for upgrades at a railroad-highway grade crossing at the intersection of State St. and the Washington & Idaho Railway, Inc. (WIR) tracks in the city of Pullman.

WIR plans to use the funds to upgrade to 12-inch LED flashing lights and replace the cross-buck signs. In addition, updated train-detection and supporting equipment will be installed which will increase the reliability of the active-warning devices.

These improvements will increase the overall safety at the crossing for motorists and pedestrians who will be able to rely on these active warning devices to determine if a train is approaching the crossing.

State St. is a two-lane roadway with a posted speed limit of 25 miles per hour. The average annual daily traffic using the crossing is 10,000 vehicles. State St. is part of an established school bus route, with 11 school buses traveling over the crossing each day. The crossing is also part of an established truck route, with trucks making up 25 percent of the total daily traffic on this roadway. Two freight trains per day operate at 15 miles per hour over the single-track mainline crossing. No passenger trains operate over the crossing.

State GCPF funding is limited to $19,999.24 for the project. WIR is contributing equipment and labor toward the cost of the upgrades. The upgrades must be completed by June 30, 2013.

The Legislature created the GCPF in 1969 to provide money for safety measures designed to decrease the potential for accidents and fatalities at public and private crossings and along railroad tracks in the state. The UTC administers the fund.

The UTC is the state agency responsible for railroad safety, including approving new grade crossings and closing or altering existing rail crossings. The agency investigates train accidents, inspects public-railroad crossings, approves rail-safety improvement projects and manages Operation Lifesaver, a rail-safety education program in Washington and nationwide.